The Door of Humility: Entering the Place Where Christ Was Born — Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem—whose name in Hebrew means “House of Bread”—holds a place of profound significance in the Christian world. It was here that Mary and Joseph found refuge in a stable, and where Mary gave birth to Jesus, ‘the Bread of Life’. Over this sacred grotto, the Church of the Nativity was built, transforming a humble place of divine intervention into one of Christianity’s most treasured pilgrimage sites. The Church of the Nativity is among the oldest continuously functioning churches in existence. It was originally commissioned in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother, Saint Helena, who identified the grotto as the true site of Christ’s birth. Dedicated in 339 AD, the first basilica drew pilgrims from across the Roman Empire. Although the original structure was destroyed, Byzantine Emperor Justinian rebuilt a grander version in the 6th century, parts of which remain today …More